New Console Sales Figures from Media Create

[fitbabits]

The latest Media Create figures from Japan have revealed that sales of the PlayStation 3 continue to drop in its home territory, with the Wii racing into an established lead of around 800,000 units.

PS3 sales totalled just over 18,700 units sold in the last recorded week, compared to the Wii's impressive tally of 65,740. Perhaps even more worrying for Sony is the fact that PS3s are in healthy stock across Japan, with 1 million units having been shipped to the country back in January (only around 600,000 have been sold so far).

The Wii, on the other hand, is in short supply, suggesting Nintendo could happily shift a fair few more units if they were on the shelves.

The full figures are as follows: -

Nintendo DS/Lite - 146,192
Wii - 65,740
PSP - 31,216
PlayStation 3 - 18,727
PlayStation 2 - 17,540
Xbox 360 - 6,130
Game Boy Advance/SP/Micro - 1,802
GameCube - 306
Source - Jolt (http://www.jolt.co.uk/index.php?articleid=8105).

Does anyone in Japan NOT own a Nintendo DS?

[Gorvi]

My god, does everyone in Japan have 2 DS Lites by now?

We really could do without the PS3 editorializing. If anyone's surprised that the sales are slow right now for a $600 console with no substantial game releases, they need to have their head examined. We could just as easily run a story headlining how the PSP (a dead system if you ask some people around here) is outselling the 360 by a 5:1 ratio.

[TheBrainKills]

I thought the Japanese got a price break right off the bat, its not a $600 console over there. And of course the Xbox360 isn't selling alot there ...yet. Kinda lame PS3 defense ... time to go back to the Defence Force camp to brush up on latest tactics ;)

[Chang3]

Should we talk about the real loser in Japan *cough360cough*.

We should wait till March and beyond to see the real launch of PS3 and its Exclusives.

[jpublic]

One of these days I should pick up a NDSlite. Considering the insane use I get from my GBA, it might be worth it for the expanded library.

[Gorvi]

One of these days I should pick up a NDSlite. Considering the insane use I get from my GBA, it might be worth it for the expanded library.

Really, do it. If you like the GBA, you'll be in heavan with the Lite. Plus you've got at least 10-15+ truly great games already available for the DS, with another 15 pretty damned good games at least.

[Serapth]

Actually, for japan, 6.1K units of the Xbox 360 being sold with no new major release, is actually kinda impressive. Last gen we never say the Xbox selling anywhere near 1/3 the rate of the PS2.

[markster3000]

Japan's population: 128,085,000
DS install base in Japan: 14,907,000

Percent of Japan with a Nintendo DS: 11.6%
Percent of Japan without a Nintendo DS: 88.4%

There's still a little way to go.

[Johan]

88% of Japanese households DON'T own a DS Lite?

OMG...it's a dead platform!

/yeeha!

Oh...way to go 360...you beat the Gamecube!

[goc_sin]

Oh...way to go 360...you beat the Gamecube!

Good one... :)

[Nessus]

Wow, I'm surprised at the PS2 numbers. It's still selling strong over here. Japan is Nintendo Land again.

[pseudopseudo]

So, does Jack Tretton's offer of $1,200 for a PS3 sitting on the shelf (for more than 5 minutes) apply in Japan, too? If so, it might be worth the flight. ;)

[DaXIthR]

Does anyone in Japan NOT own a Nintendo DS?

My god, does everyone in Japan have 2 DS Lites by now?

If anyone's surprised that the sales are slow right now for a $600 console with no substantial game releases, they need to have their head examined. We could just as easily run a story headlining how the PSP (a dead system if you ask some people around here) is outselling the 360 by a 5:1 ratio.

What's with all the comments about there being more DS Lites in Japan than people?
Have you whippersnappers never heard of a doohickey called PS2?

PS3 sales look abysmal for anything that has the letters P and S in it. That's the point. Didn't all three console manufacturers say that the first 5 million systems sell themselves?

Didn't Bill Gates say that Sony could package a brick and sell 10 million units if it has the PlayStation logo on it?

Then why the hell are their systems everywhere? Literally....everywhere. Even where the bloody thing hasn't launched, the import systems sit on shelves and collect dust.

[Heretic Machine]

Didn't Bill Gates say that Sony could package a brick and sell 10 million units if it has the PlayStation logo on it?

Umm... no, he didn't. That was a Sony exec, probably Kenzilla or Kazillicious (otherwise known as 5-9-9 Hirai). Just so we're clear, Bill Gates isn't a Sony exec, and according to some pretty reliable sources, he may have some connection to Microsoft.

[gojira]

Actually, for japan, 6.1K units of the Xbox 360 being sold with no new major release, is actually kinda impressive. Last gen we never say the Xbox selling anywhere near 1/3 the rate of the PS2.

Good point. The XBox isn't dead last like it used to be. Which I guess is an improvement of sorts. If they can release a few more good games for the Japanese market, maybe they'll start posting some better number.

I still don't think MS has any chance in Japan except third place, but if they can at least get their number up a bit, they might get taken more seriously for the next next-gen.

[KamaItachi]

Actually, for japan, 6.1K units of the Xbox 360 being sold with no new major release, is actually kinda impressive. Last gen we never say the Xbox selling anywhere near 1/3 the rate of the PS2.

Considering at times the weekly sales for the original Xbox were in single figures at times, and the first year never saw the 360 selling more than 2-3,000, it's doing some fairly decent numbers.

As gojira says, they don't really have a chance to "win" Japan, and should resign themselves to 3rd place, but I don't think they ever expected to grab the whole territory in one generation off the back of such a terrible one. As long as they can get/keep the numbers of units sold respectable, and level off at at least 10-15,000 units a week this year, (possible with some of the titles coming out) their larger install bases in N America and Europe should hold them in good stead.

[AversionFX]

Umm... no, he didn't. That was a Sony exec, probably Kenzilla or Kazillicious (otherwise known as 5-9-9 Hirai). Just so we're clear, Bill Gates isn't a Sony exec, and according to some pretty reliable sources, he may have some connection to Microsoft.

I'm going to go out on a limb, and say that he was referring to a point at which Bill Gates, commenting on Sony, said they could package a brick and people would buy it, in reference to Playstation's brand power.

On the plus side of this report, at least the PS3 sold more units than the PS2! That's a good thing, right? Right?

[Schnoogs]

Umm... no, he didn't. That was a Sony exec, probably Kenzilla or Kazillicious (otherwise known as 5-9-9 Hirai). Just so we're clear, Bill Gates isn't a Sony exec, and according to some pretty reliable sources, he may have some connection to Microsoft.

Bill gates DID say that...

You know, Sony can make 80,000 bricks, and people would buy them

[Tyrant]

I think itès safe to assume that the release of Virtua Fighter 5 this week will result in higher numbers next week. Whether itèll go above the 30,000 or so unit mark remains to be seen though.

[Chameleo]

hm. a lot less shitting all over sony than usual here.

i'm disappointed in you all!

seems that nobody cares about japan around here eh?

[Khash]

I'm amazed the PS3 is actually outselling the PS2.

[rainbowblack]

Monthly updates of sales figures are going to be the norm now that the next-gen wars are finally underway. Great, more reasons to give the fanbois a reason to piss and moan

[jpublic]

Rainbowblack: Re: Your sig.

It's ROGUE, for Fnord's sake. Rouge Galaxy sounds like a product from Mary Kay.

Learn to spell.

[donkeydrop]

I thought the Japanese got a price break right off the bat, its not a $600 console over there. And of course the Xbox360 isn't selling alot there ...yet. Kinda lame PS3 defense ... time to go back to the Defence Force camp to brush up on latest tactics ;)

Time to brush up on something called ...facts. The 20GB model was discounted at launch in Japan, not the 60GB.

[DangerousDaze]

The PS3 needs a serious injection of quality titles bacause only then will it start to pick up steam.

[rein]

I'm amazed the PS3 is actually outselling the PS2.
...and the doomed PSP is outselling them both.

[TheBrainKills]

Time to brush up on something called ...facts. The 20GB model was discounted at launch in Japan, not the 60GB.
Exactly, so how is a $430 console $600? Tell me that! ... hehe.

So it's only fair to talk about the 20GB model when you are comparing its retail prices to the HD 360 and how it's not that much different in price, yet when we talk lack of PS3 sales we have to completely ignore it. Gotchya ... I missed the SDF memo on that one, in the future could you please CC. all those to me. ok. thanks :)

[albrnick]

Considering at times the weekly sales for the original Xbox were in single figures at times, and the first year never saw the 360 selling more than 2-3,000, it's doing some fairly decent numbers.

According to the thread here:

http://forum.pcvsconsole.com/viewthread.php?tid=15959

The 360 is indeed doing better than the XB1 was at this point in its life cycle. But in total it is still short of where the XB1 was at this point. And 10 out of the first ~52 weeks the 360 sold 4000 or more boxes. But the 6K is a good and impressive number, though seems to be on the downslope from the Blue Dragon release. If they could release another good game for the Japanese market they could definitely beat their total XB1 sales.

[KamaItachi]

According to the thread here:

http://forum.pcvsconsole.com/viewthread.php?tid=15959

The 360 is indeed doing better than the XB1 was at this point in its life cycle. But in total it is still short of where the XB1 was at this point. And 10 out of the first ~52 weeks the 360 sold 4000 or more boxes. But the 6K is a good and impressive number, though seems to be on the downslope from the Blue Dragon release. If they could release another good game for the Japanese market they could definitely beat their total XB1 sales.

Nice find. Amusing/sad to see that almost a quarter of the entire original xbox sales were in the first week of its release.

Another thing I'm surprised at is no increase in sales for Culdcept Saga, I thought that was supposed to be one of the big games.

[Wolvie]

More to the point, does anyone in Japan NOT own a PS2? I mean damn, are all the school kids and tots buying them at this point? I guess cheap systems sell well, which would explain the DS/Wii thing.

[Johan]

I just don't know that there's anything MS can do to succeed in Japan, short of actually buying a Japanese developer on the order of a Capcom, Square-Enix, Konami, etc.

There is just such a divide between MS and Japanese gamers (in the games available on the system, and I think as well in the cultural acceptance of a foreign-produced console, as well), that I think it's basically a hopeless cause.

Just my take. Could be totally wrong, or right. I don't know.

[KamaItachi]

I just don't know that there's anything MS can do to succeed in Japan, short of actually buying a Japanese developer on the order of a Capcom, Square-Enix, Konami, etc.

There is just such a divide between MS and Japanese gamers (in the games available on the system, and I think as well in the cultural acceptance of a foreign-produced console, as well), that I think it's basically a hopeless cause.

Just my take. Could be totally wrong, or right. I don't know.

To an extent I think you're right that MS will never truly win Japan but I still disagree that it's primarily a cultural thing.

As a Japanese xbox owner, I saw first hand the absolutely shitty support shown for the console and the Japanese market. Most big name games never even made it out over there or came out well after the machine had died as a viable gaming option. It quickly became a niche platform for those who wanted to import games. A good 70-80% of all the titles I got were imports because they just weren't released domestically or I couldn't be bothered to wait the year and a half for the JP release. People say "Well, they didn't buy (unreleased game) A or (not even translated title) B and (delayed for so long, everyone gave up on ) C as an argument that Japanese gamers actively resisted the machine and the games without knowing how badly the situation was with releases. It should never be the more viable option to buy games on import than get the domestic release. If that's the only real option for your machine, then you've failed and your platform is dead.

Because of this, MS has, and probably deserves, a shitty rep from the original xbox which was less a) MS shoving American Standard down the Japanese market's throat, or b) The Japanese market getting in a round of school bully "getting the new kid" circle beating as it was MS hurling the machine onto shelves like a hot potato before running off screaming "no givesey-backsies!". This is something which they have had to carry over to their current position and it's still going to hurt. You only get one chance at a first impression, as the saying goes, and in a market as fickle as Japan, that can mean a lot. Coming off of a bad gen, having fulfilled none of the promises they made previously and few big name franchises to warrant the price of entry, many people are understandably sceptical about MS giving out the same rhetoric about how they understand the Japanese consumer and know how to tackle the market.

Have they made inroads this gen? Absolutely. They've made inroads and a better relationship with a lot of the companies which they failed to woo before. This time around the games are coming out at a better pace and are more focussed to the Japanese consumer with the effort and production that few Western Devs put into any game released on the Japanese market. Despite what you may think, for the majority of titles that are even released there, the door does not swing both ways with as much effort put into games going West to East as E-W. There has been little, if any proof to contradict the impression that Japanese gamers get that they simply are not as important as the U.S. or Europe.

The onus isn't on them to forgive and forget and welcome the 360 with open arms. It's down to MS to get off their ass and say "Hey, man, sorry about that thing last time, this gen we have the titles that you want, we have the support you deserve as our customer, we have a machine that will last you the next 5-7 years with a variety of genres (something the 360 Japanese market does have over the U.S./E.U. markets). You can trust us this time"

It's still going to be an uphill struggle as many big name companies are still either paying lip service with decent, but not huge games, or are still hurting over the original Xbox (see factor 5 and the True Fantasy Online debacle). But success in Japan doesn't necessarily mean having to be number 1, it's more about them getting enough numbers in people's homes to be seen as a solid enough system and grow the brand into something to compare to the heir apparent to the DS and the Final Fantasy Machine.

[Coolnut]

I just don't know that there's anything MS can do to succeed in Japan, short of actually buying a Japanese developer on the order of a Capcom, Square-Enix, Konami, etc.

There is just such a divide between MS and Japanese gamers (in the games available on the system, and I think as well in the cultural acceptance of a foreign-produced console, as well), that I think it's basically a hopeless cause.

Just my take. Could be totally wrong, or right. I don't know.

God, what a divide between American and Japanese gaming. I wouldn't call it xenophobia - Japan does buy a lot of American entertainment, from movies to music. But still, they won't accept American video games?

The prejudice happened long before the XBox was launched in Japan - i.e. who caused the video game crash back in 1983, for example? A crash so bad that had it not been for the Japanese, mostly Nintendo/Sega, gaming (at least in America) might have been just limited to a niche market on PCs today.

Possibly because of the crash's "lasting impression", the Japanese viewed us as talentless schlubs. Compare: Comapnies that were around pre-crash that lasted through the new millennium are still extant are mostly Japanese (Nintendo, Sega, Namco, Capcom, Konami, etc.) I mean, how many American-made games for consoles were made between the mid-80s crash and the game Doom?

(Yes, I am aware that PC games survived the crash and companies like Sierra even prospered. But pretty much at that time, PC gaming, while profitable for some companies, remained a niche market until the era of the x86, and few 80s PC games made it to console, much less Japan.)

Flash-forward to the first XBox. They hit Japan when it was already overly saturated with games and consoles and were already eating its own (i.e. Sega and its Dreamcast). Not only that, the prejudice and perceived quality had already been rooted in the minds of the Japanese. "No point in taking a risk on something completely untested," the developers and consumers say. It's like writing a novel and submitting it to a publisher - you'll be rejected no matter how good because the book market is already too saturated and hence you are too much of a risk for publisher or vendor to carry. Why waste perfectly good money on games/consoles the Japanese are going to reject anyway? Likely that's the consensus of both East and West, developer and console maker.

Furthermore, at this point, the Japanese are testing out things beyond traditional consoles. Witness the Nintendo DS and the Wii. Ironically, the powerful 360 (and even PS3) might be deemed "obsolete" because of their traditional play-in-home-console-and-pushbutton-controller. It ain't how powerful your processor or how cool your console is, it's how you utilize them.

In conclusion: It's not necessarily Japanese xenophobia (if it exists in the first place), it's a long-lasting terrible first impression almost 25 years ago that lead to MS's uphill struggle. Actually, more like a tall, smooth, slick, wall that you can't just use a grappling hook to climb.

[51|RandoM]

Microsoft can win in Japan, they just have to want it bad enough. According to everything I've read/seen/heard except muttering from Fitbabits, they don't appear to want it bad enough.

They're not going to do it with one appealing game every six months, that is for damned sure. Jump in with both feet, MS, the Japanese aren't impressed with your toe-dipping in their waters.

[vherub]

One thing about console sales and portable sales that undermines comparisons is a household can get away with 1 console per family. However, with portable devices, these are more personal (you know, being portable and all), so a household will often have more than one.
So how many householsd, rather than total population, might be a good figure to toss in to these monthly chats.